How to choose dog boarding or day care in Colchester

Twenty-three dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Colchester, spread from Colchester City Council's licensing area to the Tendring District Council edge around Ardleigh, Thorrington and Brightlingsea. Thirteen are home boarders, six run day care and six run boarding kennels, with two businesses holding both a boarding kennels and a day care licence. What matters most when choosing depends on which of the three you need.

Home boarding, day care or kennels

Thirteen businesses board dogs in the boarder's own home rather than a kennel block: 5 Star Pet Services, Simply Pawfect and Maisies Mates in the Colchester centre area; All Seasons Dog Walking & Pet Services, Hoopers Hounds and Walkies, Talkies and Cuddles in Lexden; Kickstart My Bark and The Dog Hut in Stanway; Bone Sweet Bone and We Love Pets Colchester in Highwoods; It's All About The Dogs in West Mersea; The Woof Wagon near Rowhedge; and Bones & Belly Rubs near Ardleigh. Greenstead has no listed business yet, and Wivenhoe town itself has none either; the four businesses shown under the Wivenhoe area are all further out — Hilltop Boarding Kennels and Cattery near Thorrington, Brightlingsea Boarding Kennels and Cattery in Brightlingsea, Blackbrook Kennels near Dedham, and Bones & Belly Rubs, the home boarder above, near Ardleigh. A home boarder usually takes far fewer dogs at a time than a kennel, so ask how many other dogs will be in the house during your dates, and whether they are all from one family or several. Colchester Canine Creche, Animal Magic Kennels & Cattery, Dogs Play Centre, Muttley & Mabel, Vanderburg and Mutley's Hotel and Day Care Centre run day care from a dedicated site rather than a home. Amy's Pet Retreat, Animal Magic Kennels & Cattery, Blackbrook Kennels, Mutley's Hotel and Day Care Centre, Hilltop Boarding Kennels and Cattery and Brightlingsea Boarding Kennels and Cattery run boarding kennels for overnight stays; three of these, Blackbrook, Hilltop and Brightlingsea, also run a cattery alongside the dog kennels. Colchester City Council's own register lists Blackbrook's licence under cat boarding only, even though the business's own site prices dog boarding too, so ask about this directly.

What the council licence means

Every business listed holds a current licence, from either Colchester City Council or, for the businesses near Ardleigh, Thorrington and Brightlingsea, Tendring District Council: a licence is a legal requirement in England for dog boarding, home boarding and day care, not an optional extra. Where the council has issued a star rating, it runs from 1 to 5 and is shown on the listing; only one business here, 5 Star Pet Services, has a licence with no star shown on the register. A star rating is the council's own inspection score, tied to how often the business is reinspected, and is not a customer review, so treat it the way you would a food hygiene rating rather than a Google star. Ask to see the current licence certificate, and ask what the maximum number of dogs it covers is, since a licence can cap this below what the kennel or house could otherwise hold.

Questions worth asking about vaccinations, breed rules and insurance

None of these are things this directory can answer on a business's behalf; they are worth putting to the business directly before you book.

• What vaccinations do you require, and how long before the stay do you need to see proof of them?
• Do you have a policy on kennel cough, and what is it?
• Do you have any breed restrictions or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• Are you insured, and can you show evidence of current cover?
• How is medication given during a stay, and is there an extra charge for it?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while in your care?

None of the businesses listed here publish a vaccination schedule or a stated insurance position beyond what appears on their own licence or website, so ask rather than assume an answer either way.

Prices and extras

Six of the twenty-three businesses listed publish a price; see our Colchester prices guide for the published figures and what they cover. Whichever type of boarding or day care you choose, ask what a second dog from the same household costs, whether bank holidays are charged at a higher rate, and whether collection is included or priced separately.